Sandro Taps Dias, Cooper Outduels Hess on Bellator 58 Undercard

Marlon Sandro choked his way back into the win column at
Bellator 58. | Photo: William Musacchia

Emotional and frustrated following his August knockout loss to
Pat
Curran, Brazilian featherweight standout Marlon
Sandro channeled his aggression for the better, as he earned a
first-round submission over fellow countryman Rafael Dias
Saturday night on the undercard of
Bellator 58 in Hollywood, Fla.

In his first action since losing the Bellator Summer Series
tournament final to Curran, Sandro took a moment to get started.
After poking Dias in the eye inadvertently, Sandro suffered a flash
knockdown off of a Dias right. However, the Nova Uniao fighter
quickly reversed to top position and got to work. As soon as Dias
attempted to get back to his feet, Sandro cinched up a standing
arm-triangle which he actually tightened from the feet, calling to
mind his 2009 win over Matt
Jaggers.

Stuck in the choke standing, Dias was helpless and frozen. Sandro
simply slung him to the mat and took the side position to finish
the choke, earning the tap at 3:56 of the first round.

Sandro, 34, now stands at 20-3 in his MMA campaign with 11
stoppages, while Dias falls to 15-9-2.

In the undercard's most action-packed bout, Brett
Cooper outlasted Jared Hess in
a brutal middleweight battle of Bellator tournament veterans,
earning three 29-28 scorecards and a unanimous verdict.

W.
Musacchia

Cooper outlasted Hess in a grueling
one.

Cooper was nearly polished off in round one as he was dropped by
two right crosses from the Central Oklahoma alum, and then had his
back taken. Saved by the bell after the first frame, Cooper came to
life in the second round, battering Hess with heavy uppercuts which
ultimately turned the tide of the fight.

By the third round, it was all Cooper, as he continued his uppercut
assault while threatening Hess with both a kimura and a brabo choke
from top position. With the win, Cooper moves to 16-7, while Hess
falls to 11-4-1, having dropped three of his last four bouts.

Popular local Jessica
Aguilar avenged the first loss of her pro career by taking a
one-sided unanimous decision over Lisa
Ellis-Ward with a clean sweep on the scorecards.

In Aguilar's first pro bout back in February 2006, Ellis-Ward
choked her out in the second frame. However, nearly six years
later, Aguilar's striking had matured enough to dictate
proceedings, as her lead left hook and overhand right continuously
cracked the Olympia, Wash., fighter. When Ellis-Ward got more
aggressive late in the fight, Aguilar's left jab appeared to ensure
she continued to control the standup. Judges Chris Lee,
Barry Luxenberg and Eliseo Rodriguez had an easy night, all
concluding 30-27 for Aguilar.

The 29-year-old Aguilar, now 12-4, has won seven of her last eight
bouts, her lone loss coming in a contentious split decision to
former Bellator 115-pound champion Zoila
Gurgel in September 2010. A loser of two straight, Ellis-Ward
slides to 14-7 in her campaign.

W.
Musacchia

Aguilar's overhand right was
on point.

After starting his career 9-0, German middleweight prospect
Jonas
Billstein tasted defeat for the second straight time, losing
his stateside debut via disqualification to former NFL running back
Herbert
Goodman.

Billstein was in control of the bout, working effectively with his
left hook and defensive wrestling. In round two the 20-year-old
Cologne native dropped the former Green Bay Packer to his knees.
Unfortunately, he followed up with a flagrant soccer kick while
Goodman was floored. Goodman never recovered, and after receiving
oxygen on the canvas, was taken from the cage on a stretcher as a
precautionary measure.

With Goodman unable to continue, referee Frank Gentile disqualified
Billstein at 3:21 of the second round.

The 36-year-old Mello was dominant from the outset, dominating the
standup with his boxing and low kicks and threatening with
submissions on top. Mello's best offense came in the third round,
where he dropped Sharipov with a low kick and opened up with heavy
punches on top, but Sharipov held on and still has yet to be
finished in 18 career bouts.

W.
Musacchia

Mello dominated Sharipov.

After a letdown in his anticipated MMA debut in October, Brazilian
muay Thai star Cosmo
Alexandre got his first career cage win in style, blowing out
Avery
McPhatter just 20 seconds into their lightweight contest.

The 22-year-old McPhatter almost immediately walked into a right
hand that put him on the deck and in danger. Though the Tampa
native got to his feet, the Brazilian smashed him with two knees
that collapsed him, forcing referee Troy Waugh
into quick action.

The MMA Masters product started slow, conceding the first round to
Barbosa, but his takedowns took the final two frames for him, as
Barbosa was forced to play guard, or from the turtle position, for
most of the final 10 minutes.